Our IASB Membership
Essential Talent is an accredited member of the International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB), the only global trade body representing professional speaker bureaus, lecture agencies, and speaker management companies.
For our clients, this membership means three things: independent accreditation, adherence to a published Code of Ethics, and a direct channel for accountability.
What is the IASB?
The International Association of Speakers Bureaus was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Arizona, United States. It is a registered non-profit trade association whose membership is drawn from speaker bureaus located around the world.
IASB exists to provide global leadership to the speaker bureau industry through education, shared resources, professional standards, and partnerships with organisations across the meetings and events industry — including the National Speakers Association (NSA), Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the Events Industry Council, and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).
Why does it matter when you book a speaker?
Booking a keynote speaker, conference MC, or corporate entertainer involves a significant investment of budget, planning time, and reputation. The IASB exists precisely because clients deserve to know they are working with a bureau that operates to a recognised standard.
As an IASB member, Essential Talent is required to:
- Adhere to the IASB Professional Standards and Code of Ethics
- Represent speakers and their fees transparently and accurately
- Honour confidentiality obligations to both clients and speakers
- Operate to recognised commercial standards on contracts, deposits, and engagement terms
- Accept oversight from the IASB Ethics Committee in the event of a complaint
That final point is worth emphasising. If a client has a serious concern about how an IASB member bureau has conducted business, that concern can be referred to the IASB Ethics Committee. This is a layer of accountability that bureaus operating outside the IASB simply cannot offer.
What this means for Essential Talent's clients
Essential Talent has operated as a New Zealand speaker bureau for over a decade, representing more than 120 speakers across leadership, business, motivational, AI and innovation, sport, wellbeing, and entertainment categories. Our clients include McDonald's New Zealand, Toyota, Tourism New Zealand, SkyCity, Lotto NZ, and Burger King New Zealand, among many others.
Our IASB membership is a public commitment that the way we do business meets a global standard — not just a local one. For event managers, association executives, learning and development leads, and conference organisers booking speakers through us, that accreditation is a reassurance that the bureau behind the speaker is held to the same level of professional accountability as any of the world's leading agencies.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Essential Talent is an accredited member of the International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB), the global trade body for the speaker bureau industry, founded in 1986.
IASB members are required to adhere to the IASB Code of Ethics and Professional Standards, covering transparency, confidentiality, fair commercial practice, and accountability to clients and speakers.
The IASB is the only international trade body specifically for speaker bureaus and speaker management companies. Other organisations such as the National Speakers Association (NSA) represent individual professional speakers; the IASB represents the agencies and bureaus that work with them.
The IASB is a registered 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association based in Arizona, United States. It works in partnership with major meetings and events industry bodies including Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the Events Industry Council (EIC), and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).
IASB maintains a public Bureau Locator on its website at iasbweb.org. Members can be searched by bureau name or country. You are welcome to contact Essential Talent directly on 0508 825 368 if you would like further confirmation.
Talk to an accredited speaker bureau
Whether you are planning a national conference, a leadership offsite, a gala dinner, or a regional event, Essential Talent's team is here to help you match the right speaker, MC, or facilitator to your audience and your objectives.